


Lactose IntolerLance

by humblenoodle



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dorks in Love, Fluff, Lactose Intolerant Shiro, M/M, Poor Keith, Shiro (Voltron) is a Mess, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, a total disaster gay, farmers market, lance cant stop laughing, still writting that shance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-20
Updated: 2018-07-20
Packaged: 2019-06-13 14:40:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15366849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/humblenoodle/pseuds/humblenoodle
Summary: Shiro's aware, at least, that his current course of action is humiliatingly stupid, and he should really stop while he's still ahead.But it’s not like he could just casually waltz up there and ask for Lance’s number, maybe even a date. That’s not how thisworked.





	Lactose IntolerLance

**Author's Note:**

> She's done!! My first commission!! Thank you so much, Py, for commissioning me, I had a lot more fun with this baby than I ever thought I would've!
> 
> I also appreciate the creative liberty because I don't know how well I would've done with a strict outline.
> 
> Enjoy? :)

At some point, you have to take a step back and think that _maybe_ the course you’re currently hurtling down isn’t exactly the best for the long run, but Shiro wasn’t ready just yet to admit to himself that the path he was taking was humiliatingly stupid. Nor was he ready to find a different solution, because any and all other options Shiro was by no means physically or mentally ready to take. Quite frankly, the only ones he could possibly accomplish all led to an end result he really didn’t like.

But it’s not like he could just casually waltz up there and ask for Lance’s number, maybe even a date. That’s not how this _worked_.

Instead, Shiro made it a point every week to travel out to the farmers market that was just a tad bit too far out of the way from his house to be worth the gas, and buy at least two items from Lance’s stock. Every week, for several months now. Shiro thinks it’s been at least six months, though he’s not entirely sure, but he does know he’s never had so much dairy in his house before in his goddamn life. Most of it has even gone bad now, because there’s only so much cheese that Shiro could shove at Keith before he’s had enough.

It’s not Shiro’s fault though! He couldn’t keep away from Lance, even if he sold the devil’s food.

Speaking of…

“Hi, Shiro!” Lance greeted as Shiro approached, like he was somehow surprised Shiro still showed up even though Shiro couldn’t imagine ever staying away. “How’s your week been? Work still giving you a rash?”

“You have no idea,” Shiro said dryly, eyes crinkling at the edges with that familiar _I’m stupid in love with you_ smile. If Keith could see him now… “However, the project is largely wrapping up here, so in the next couple of weeks, I think everyone will start to cool off with an appropriate amount of sleep.”

“Glad to hear it!”

Shiro’s heart fluttered at the words. It always managed to surprise him, after having dealt with your stereotypical nine-to-five workers in corporate America every day for several years following a severe accident that left him white-haired and lacking his entire right arm, how sincere and genuine Lance always was. No matter how silly his problem, Lance just _cared_ . There was no false pretense behind his words or actions, and Shiro was so fucked because he _adored_ the man for his kindness.

Shiro adored every part of him, but the fact that he was _kind_ — a rare trait in of itself these days — was the final nail in the coffin he’d built for himself.

“So,” Lance continued, and Shiro blinked away all the hearts and roses surrounding Lance. “What’ll it be today? I’ll make sure you get the best!”

Warmth bloomed along Shiro’s cheeks, which was stupid, so _stupid,_ because it was a typical question for someone to ask when selling things, but he was so _stupid in love,_ he’d take any words from Lance’s lips and treasure them. _Only I get the best of Lance’s products,_ his love-sick brain whispered. Stupid! Shiro needed to seek professional counseling again, because he thinks maybe this is finally his breaking point. After everything, it’s a cuban boy with the most stunning blue eyes he’s ever seen that makes him lose what little common sense and stability he had left.

“Surprise me,” he choked out in lieu of voicing any of his other more traitorous thoughts. “You always know what’s best, anyway.”

“No problem, Shiro.”

As Lance poked through his products (god, even his hands were beautiful, with long, delicate fingers spotted with hard-earned calluses), Shiro took a moment to look around the market. Per usual, it was decently busy, with people bustling around between each of the stalls, voices mixing to create a lull in the air. Down a few stalls from Lance’s, Shiro noticed a rather large wire circle, and realized with a start that there were _puppies_ playing within the enclosure, their bushy tails wagging furiously when anyone even breathed in their direction.

“They’re cute, aren’t they?” Lance asked from beside him, and Shiro hummed his acquiescence. He’d been meaning to look into getting a dog for a long time now — it’d be good for his PTSD, especially if he goes to those training classes Matt was talking about — so he found it ironic that the stall was so near Lance’s. “I’ve been dying to pick one up _all day.”_

Just as it always did when it came to Lance, Shiro’s mouth moved before he could think through the words. “If I pick one up, you’d always be welcome to come visit them.”

_What?_

Lance blinked those impossibly blue eyes up at Shiro, before a slow smile spread across his lips.

“Is that so?” he inquired. “Only for the puppy?”

Shiro shrugged helplessly. “Not unless you find another reason to visit. You’d have to keep coming though, otherwise the puppy would miss you.”

“Mhmm. Just the puppy.”

“Just the puppy,” Shiro agreed, a little too quickly, but he knew he was fucked regardless. Lance had seen through him like he wasn’t even _standing there._ “And maybe the prospective owner.”

The laugh was all the reward in the world for Shiro’s mortification, and he couldn’t help but smile along despite the fire-truck red blush painted across his cheeks.

“Alright, alright,” Lance chortled as his laughter pittered to an end. “Let’s get you bagged up here. No need to waste time when you have a puppy to go buy for me.”

“Will you actually come by?”

 _God,_ shut up, mouth, you’re ruining _everything!_ Shiro can’t handle speaking to Lance on normal terms, and yet here he was, shamelessly inviting Lance over to his house and fully considering buying a dog that he’s wholly unprepared for just for that opportunity. Yes, he’s been dying to get closer to Lance for months now, but _seriously?_ This is a whole new level, even for him.

Lance’s smile was softer, this time, with less of a teasing edge at the corners. “Only if you want me to.”

“Y-yeah, I do,” Shiro whispered, because of course his voice decides to give out _now._ “I’d really like that, actually.”

When Lance held out the bag with the dairy — _ugh,_ he hates even holding it, knowing the potential agony he’d go through if he ever ate this shit — Shiro mechanically handed the money over and tried to get his heart back to a steady rate as Lance fished out the change. When he received his change, and a ripped piece of paper back, Shiro stared at it, dumbfounded for two seconds too long.

“It’s my number, silly,” Lance explained with a short chuckle when Shiro persisted in his bafflement. “Text me, sometime… So I can meet your puppy.”

“Right,” Shiro choked out. “Totally. The puppy.”

_Holy shit, holy shit I have Lance’s number. I have Lance’s number! I have Lance’s number… How do I even engage in the conversation? What will I say for the first text? Hello? No, that sounds stupid. It has to mean something._

“Maybe,” Lance was continuing over Shiro’s premature panic attack. “While I’m over there, I can make something for you. I know this fantastic cheesecake recipe that—”

“Oh, god, no cheesecake,” Shiro blurted out. “I can’t eat dairy.”

Silence.

Shiro could feel his cheeks _burn._

“W...what?”

“I’m…” Shiro swallowed back the bile in his throat, mentally berating himself a thousand times over. “I’m actually lactose intolerant, have been for several years.”

“So,” Lance clarified, his face carefully neutral though Shiro could see he was barely managing to bite back a smile. “You’ve been coming here for, what, seven months now to buy my stuff even though you can’t even _eat it?_ What have you even been doing with all of that?”

“Well, Keith isn’t lactose intolerant…”

It seemed like that was the tipping point for Lance, and he just couldn’t hold it back any longer. Lance threw his head back and _laughed,_ louder than Shiro had ever heard him laugh before. His legs couldn’t even hold him up anymore, as he slowly sunk behind his table, wheezing with the force of it. Shiro wanted to laugh along, and it bubbled at the back of his throat, but his body couldn’t decide which was stronger: the mortification, or the hilarity. So he ended up just awkwardly hovering there, probably looking rather constipated despite better efforts to smile.

“S-Shiro, oh my _god,”_ Lance spluttered through his laughter. “You are probably the sweetest person, but you know you didn’t have to buy my stuff to talk to me, right?”

“I know that!” Shiro retorted, defensive off the bat. “I just felt bad, because you looked so cute when you asked me…”

“I solicited you with my good looks and charm! Oh my _god,_ this is the best day of my life. Shiro, oh _Shiro._ You sweet, innocent man, you’re so _good,_ but please s-stop,” he had to pause to giggle again. “ _Please_ stop throwing dairy at your friends just to see me. I’ve been waiting for you to ask me out for a while now, anyway, you didn’t have to buy anything.”

_Hold up._

“You have?”

Slowly, as if he didn’t quite trust the strength in his legs yet, Lance rose back up and _beamed_ at Shiro. He couldn’t stop from returning the smile if he wanted.

“ _Duh._ Not only are you the biggest sweetheart, but you’re super hot on top of that. Seriously, have you looked in the mirror lately? Total boyfriend material right there.”

Shiro chuckled. “Wow… I feel like a moron right now.”

“Good! You should, you disaster gay,” Lance teased, but his voice was soft. “But now, let me refund your purchase, and you can go get that puppy you’ve been eyeing this whole time. I need that excuse to come see you — I mean, the puppy — right?”

“Right,” Shiro agreed, and handed the bag over, utterly humiliated but happier than he has been in years. “I’ll text you later today. When do you usually close shop?”

“I’ll be here till seven, but I’ll be looking for your text, mister!”

“I wouldn’t miss sending it for the world.”

For the first time, a small blush bloomed along Lance’s tanned cheeks, and Shiro couldn’t help but think that he should make Lance blush more often, because it suited him just a little bit too well. With a tiny wave, Shiro murmured his goodbye (but only for now; he had a feeling they’d be seeing each other a lot more, even despite his blunders), and made over to the stall with the group of four Shih Zu puppies that howled joyfully when he approached.

“Hi, how much is it to adopt one of them?”

**Author's Note:**

> I can't _believe_ how perfectly timed this fic was considering that Shiro was Confirmed Gay today. It's a sign.


End file.
